Mechanical movement



(No Model.) l 3 Sheets--Sheet 1.

G. W. HEY. MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

No. 569,132. Patented 0011.6, 1896.

ATTOR N EYS (No Model.) G W HEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

No. 669,132. Patented 066. 6, 1696.

| Tens co., mmournq. wnsnmmon. n. c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. W. HEY.

MBGHANIGAL MOVEMENT. No. 569,132. Patented 0011.6, 1896.

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1 `bu J l l q #la L Jl WlTNESSES: INVENTOR y www' f www ATTOH N EYSUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. HEY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,132, dated October6, 1896.

Application led July 19, 1894I To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE W. HEY, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Mechanical Movements, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic mail-marking machines,and has for its object the production of a simple and practical devicefor transmitting motion to the marker by the engagement of said devicewith the sealed flaps of the envelops of the mail-matter; and to thisend it consists, essentially, in the construction and arrangement of itscomponent parts, all as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out inthe claims.

In specifying my invention reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of my inventionprovided with a marker for making contact with the mail-matter andmechanism for holding the marker out of the mail-matter path when nomail is passing and releasing the same when the mail is present forpermitting registration of the marker therewith. Fig. V2 is an invertedplan View, part thereof being broken away, of the parts as illustratedin Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of the detached mechanism fornormally holding the marker out of the mailmatter path and releasingsaid marker for permitting the same to register with the mailmatter.Fig. 4 is an inverted plan View of the feeler and its tip shown atFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view looking upward, taken online m, Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively enlarged side elevationand inverted plan view of a slightlyLmcdified construction of feelerused in my invention. Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively enlarged sideelevation and top plan view of a further modiiied construction of feelerused in my mechanical movement; and Fig. 10 is a top plan view of aletter, the feelers, (one being partly broken away for illustrating itsengagement with the envelop-flap,) the lower supporting-links for thefeelers, and the die-carrying roller, (shown Serial No. 517,978. (Nomodel.)

by dotted lines,) the letter being illustrated by dotted lines asadvanced and one of the feelers being shown by dotted lines as rockedinwardly by the advanced letter.

A represents the mail-matter-supporting bed, which is here illustratedas a traveling belt, and A mail-matter-feeding rollers journaled abovesaid bed and normally in contact therewith in a frame A2, mounted onsuitable supports (not illustrated) and consisting of side bars A3 andcross -bars A4. The marker A5 consists of a pair of dies arrangeddiametrically opposite upon the periphery of a roller A0, havingtrunnions A7, journaled in normally vertical slots A8, provided in thedepending arm A9 of an L-shaped bracket or yoke A10, having oneextremity pivoted at A11 between the side-bars A3 of the frame A.

The bracket A10 is provided with a shoulder a, adapted to be engaged bya movable catch f, presently described, and when released from saidcatch is drawn into registration with the mail by a spring a', securedat one end to said yoke and at the other to one of the side bars A3 ofthe frame A2.

W'hen in registration with the mail which is being fed along the belt A,the die-carrying roller A6 is rotated by the moving letter, and one ofthe two teeth of a cam a? on said roller engages a pin a3 on the yoke orbracket A10 and thereby raises the same into position to be againengaged with the catch-shoulder f, which, as presently described, isreturned to operative position before the passage of the mail. After theyoke or bracket A10 reaches its normal position and the highest point ofone of the teeth of the cam a2, engaged with the pin as, has passed saidpin, a spring a1, having one extremity secured to the bracket A10 andthe other to the pivotal pin or trunnion of the die-carrying roller A0,returns said roller to its normal position, this movement beingpermitted by the normally vertical slot A8, in which said trunnion isjournaled. v

The marking-die a0 is inked bya roller a1, j )urnaled in movable barsas, pivoted upon the rod A11 and is drawn into operative position by aspring a0, having one end secured to a shoulder @L10 on a cross-bar C013between said bars cts, and the other to an arm a11, se-

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cured at L12 to a cross-bar a between the arms or walls of the bracketA10.

It will be understood that my invention is particularly applicable foruse in the construction of machine just briefly described, but that itmay also be used in other marking-machines and that the construction ofthe marker and its supporting-bracket may be greatly varied at willwithout affecting the scope of my invention.

B represents the supporting plate or frame, upon which the extension-barb is guided and the cranks C C pivoted.

b is the main bar or lever, connecting with and transmitting motion tothe mechanism to which it is applied. As shown at Fig. 1, it is pivotedat P to the bar E, pivoted at P to one of the side walls A3 of the frameA2, extends at right angles to the bar E in a horizontal plane in thisexample of my invention, and is provided with pins c c, resting in theforked ends of the cranks C C and connecting the said bar movably withsaid cranks. The outward or free end of the barb is slotted part way itslength at b', as seen at Figs. 2 and 3, for the reception of a pin b2,secured in the plate or frame B and serving` to guide the bar b in itsmovement.

Bars or rods F F, which carry feelers J, are mounted and verticallyguided in links D and G, pivoted, respectively, at d to the plate B andat g to a cross-bar A4 of the frame A2, and bear against the cranks C C,being yieldingly forced toward the mail-feed bed A by a spring S,interposed between the link G and a shoulder G', rigidly secured on saidbar F for allowing the feelers to yield vertically to letters ofdifferent thickness.

Upon the pivoted bar Eis a shoulder f, adapted to engage the shoulder aon the yoke A10 for the marking-roller AG. A spiral spring S, secured atone end to the bar E and at the other to an arm S2, secured to the rod@14, serves to keep the shoulder fand shoulder co in engagement and alsoto return bar l) to its normal position after it has been moved, aspresently described, by the engagement of the feelers .I with theletter.

When the mail fed by the belt A and the rollers A encounters the feeler,it is raised vertically against the action of the spring S, being guidedthrough openings in the links D and G, and, as presently described, thefeeler adjacent to the flap of the envelop is rocked inwardly upon thepivots d and g, as shown by dotted lines at Fig. l0, thus rocking theadjacent arms of the lever C inwardly, retractin g the bar l),withdrawing the catch j' from the shoulder CL, and permitting the springa to draw the marker into registration with the mail, as previouslydescribed.

As soon as the widest part of the envelopflap passes the feeler thespring S draws the catch-carrying lever E backward into posi'- tion tobe again engaged by the shoulder on the marking-roller frame when saidframe, as previously described, is restored to its normal position, andthereby forces the feelers to their normal position outward, and by theaction of the spring S the same are forced against the feedin g-belt A.The longitudinal edges of the mail-matter from which the liaps projectare not always similarly arranged adjacent to one edge of the belt A,and consequently I use two feelers, one of which is engaged by the flapof each of the passing letters.

The engaging feeler consists of a circular disk of metal J, having acircumferential catching or engaging edge, as best shown at Figs. 2, 3,and it, and a spindle j, which rotates freely in a bearing K, secured at7c to the lower end of the rod F.

In order to prevent the sharp engaging edge A The purpose of the feelerbeing4 to engage i the edge of the flap at the back of the envelops ofletters or other mail-matter, it is highly important that itmay-passfreelyover any other portion of the letter, as its advancingend, and thus engage only said rear flap.`

This result I obtain at Figs. 1 and 3 by attaching the tip-piece to thebar F so that the lower surface of said tip-piece is iiush with thebottom of the disk, and by forming .said tip of much less width than thediameter of the disk, thus exposing only the sides of. said disk to theap and preventing the engagement of its edge, except by the curved ordiagonal edges of the rear flap of the envelop. It will thusbeunderstoodthat as the letter passes the flap constantly increasesinwidth, and thus rocks the feeler and its supporting-lever inwardly, aspreviously described, until the point of greatest width is passed, andthat all tearing of the flap is obviated by the free rotation of thefeeler.

At Figs. G and 7 I have shown a tip I, consisting of a plate of greaterwidth than the feeler J, which is formed with a cut-out for exposing oneside of the feeler, and is provided at its front extremity with anantifriction-roller I.

At Figs. 8 and 9 I haveshown a tip I of similar shape to the oneillustrated at Figs. 6 and 7, with the exception that it is improvidedwith a cut-out in its side edge, the side edge of the feeler beingexposed by extending the same beneath the lower face of the rear portionof said tip, vand the feeler being prevented from engagement by thefront of the letter by depressing the front portion of said lower faceto a planesubstantially parallel with that of the lower face of thefeeler. In

this modified construction the tip I is pivoted at i to an extension orarm F of the bar F,

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and the feeler-frame K is pivoted at k to the lower extremity of the barF and secured at one extremity to a spring 2, having its oppositeextremity secured at 3f to the rear extremity of the tip I.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from theforegoing description and upon reference to the drawings, and it isevident that motion is communicated from the flap of the letter togovern the registration of the marker With said letter.

It is evident that considerable change may be made in the detailconstrution and arrangement of my invention Without departing from thespirit thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination with a printing device and a catch for holding theprinting device out of the path of the mail-matter; of a vertically andlaterally movable rotary feeler provided'with a tip-piece for engagingthe flapsj of the envelops of the mail-matter, connected to the catchfor forcing the same from operative position, and a feed for feeding theletters to the feeler, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination with a printing device and a catch for holding theprinting device out of the path of the mail-matter; of a vertically andlaterally movable bar F having a rotary feeler provided with a tip-piecefor engaging the flaps of the envelops of the mail-matter, a feed forfeeding the letters to the feeler, a crank C operated by the bar F, anda movable bar b connected to said crank and catch for forcing the catchfrom operative position, substantially as and for the purpose specilied.

3. The combination With a-printing device and a bar E carrying a catchfor holding the printing device out of the path of the mailmatter; ofoppositely-arranged vertically and laterally movable bars F F havingrotary feelers provided with a tip-piece for engaging the ilaps of theenvelops of the mail -matter, a feed for feeding the letters to thefeelers, cranks C C operated by the bars F F, and a movable bar bconnected to said cranks and bar E for forcing the catch from operativeposition, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. v

4. The combination with a printing device and a catch for holding theprinting device out of the path of the mail-matter; of a vertically andlaterally movable bar F having a rotary feeler for engaging the flaps ofthe envelops of the mail-matter, a feed for feeding the letters to thefeeler, a pivoted link D connected to the bar F, a crank C operated bythe bar F, and a movable bar b connected to said crank and catch forforcing the catch from operative position, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

5. The combination of a printing device and a bar E carrying a catch forholding the printing device out of the path of the mail letters to thefeelers,cranks C C operated by the bars F F, and a movable bar bconnected to said cranks and bar E for forcing the catch from operativeposition, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination With a printing device and a catch for holding theprinting device out of the path of the mail-matter; of a vertically andlaterally movable rotary feeler for engaging the iiaps of the envelopsof the mail-matter, connected to the catch for forcing the same fromoperative position, a tip projecting in advance of the feeler forengaging the mail-matter, and a feed for feeding the letters to thefeeler and tip, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. The combination with a printing device and a catch for holding theprinting device out of the path of the mail-matter; Yof a vertically andlaterally movable rotary feeler for engaging the flaps of the envelopsof the mail-matter, connected to the catch for forcing the same fromoperative position, a tip of less Width than the feeler projecting inadvance of the feeler for engaging the mailmatter, and a feed forfeeding the letters to the feeler and tip, substantially as and for thepurpose speciiied.

8. The combination with a printing device and a catch for holding .theprinting device out of the path of the mail-matter; of a vertically andlaterally movable bar F having a rotary feeler for engaging the iiaps ofthe envelops of the mail-matter, a tip project' lng in advance of thefeeler for engagingthe mail-matter, a feed for feeding the mail-mat terto the feeler and tip, a crank C operated by the bar F, and a movablebar b connected to said crank and catch for forcing the catch fromoperative position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. The combination with a printing device and a bar E carrying a catchfor holding the printing device out of the path of the mailmatter; ofoppositely-arranged vertically and laterally movable bars F F havingrotary feelers for engaging the flaps of the envelops of themail-matter, a tip projecting in advance of the feeler for engaging themailmatter, a feed for feeding the mail-matter to the feelerV and tip,cranks C C operated by the bars F F, and a movable bar b connected tosaid cranks and bar E for forcing the catch from operative position,substantially as set forth.

With a tip-piece projecting in advance of its engaging edge,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

l0. The herein-described feeler provided IOO IIO

11. A feeler provided with a tip-piece proof Onondaga, inthe Sttte ofNew York, this jectng in advance of its engaging edge and 17th day ofJuly, 1894. formed of less Width than said engaging edge, rsubstantially as andfor the purpose set forth. GEORGE XV' HEX 5 Intestimony whereof I have hereunto Vtnesses:

signed my name, in the presence of two ztt- CLARK H. NORTON, testingWitnesses, at Syracuse, in the county K. H. THEOBALD.

